Older Adults Have New Help Finding Pen Pals

Meet people in all parts of the country without leaving home and without using a computer. You're never too old to try something new, but in this case you may be too young.

You have to be at least a half-century old to subscribe to Friendship Over 50, a nationwide pen pal newsletter for older adults.

San Francisco resident Michael Herzog, 42, stumbled on the idea for the pen pal network after his father was injured in a fire and had to be hospitalized two years ago.

"He was lying there for 10 weeks doing nothing and I just felt that if he could write somebody to pass the time away instead of watching TV, it might be better for him," Herzog said.

Herzog began seeking participants for his pen pal service in October. His father was his first subscriber. Since then, 80 people from 15 states have responded, Herzog said.

"It's like any of those magazines out there are for singles," Herzog said. "You can look to meet travel partners. You can look to find friends or just find a pen pal to write to."

Herzog also wants to make the newsletter a forum for issues affecting older Americans, he said. Stories for senior citizens written by subscribers will be included among the advertisements for pen pals.

The black and white newsletter will come out six times a year, Herzog said. The cost of an ad for a pen pal in the premiere issue is $25 for the first 25 words. The deadline for placing an ad is Feb. 1. The first issue will be out in February.

Scattered throughout the newsletter will be warnings about being too trusting with the information they provide to potential pen pals, Herzog said. Post office boxes will be used for correspondence, and no phone numbers will be included in ads.